Drop center rim



March 22, 1960 D. A. wAL'rHl-:R

DROP CENTER RIM Filed May 29J 1956 FIG. I

2? A 28 FI G 2 l 28 DANIEL A. V'I'EWECR BY%,T/3u m ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent i DROP CENTER RIM Daniel A. Walther, Dayton, Ohio,assignor to The Day' ton Steel Foundry Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio The present invention relates to an automotive tirerim construction. More particularly, the invention relatesl to animproved drop center rim construction especially suited for the accurateand rapid mounting in dual arrangement of heavy duty tubeless truck ortrailer tires.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved dropcenter rim construction. Further, it is an object to provide a rimconstruction especially suited for the accurate and rapid mounting oftubeless tires'on a vehicle wheel. Still further, it is an object toprovide a tire rim having a strengthening rib and a preformed andintegral mounting and spacer ange which eliminates the need for anindependent spacer or separator and thus enables the rim to beaccurately mounted, and utilized with equal facility, as either an inneror outer rim.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent in view of thefollowing detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with theattached drawing.

ln the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical cross-section of a dual mounting of theimproved rim on a vehicle wheel; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the rim especiallyadapted for the dual mounting of tires having a large cross-section.

The vehicle wheel shown in the drawing is of standard design andconstruction and is provided with a hub indicated generally by thenumeral 10. The hub is provided with nished seats 11 and 12 foranti-friction bearings. When the axle and bearings are in position, theouter end of the hub may be closed with a cover plate (not shown) boltedin the tapped holes 13. Extending radially of the hub incircumferentially spaced apart relationship are a plurality of spokemembers 14. Each spoke member is dished inwardly toward the inner sideof the wheel and between adjacent spokes are annular rib sections orwebs 15, through which are inserted a plurality of bolts and nuts 16 forfastening the wheel to the brake drum 17.

Each of the spoke members 14 is connected at its radially outer end withan axially extending circumferential outer bearing surface 18 whichprovides the felly or rim segment of the wheel. The axially innerportion of the felly 18 terminates in a standard 28 bevelled bearingsurface 19, which provides a seat for the mounting flange of an improvedrim, indicated generally by the numeral 20.

As shown in the drawing, two rims 20 are mounted in dual fashion aroundthe wheel felly 18. Though reversed and mounted in opposition to oneanother, both rims are identical in construction and therefore only theouter rim need be described in detail, each element of the rim beingannular unless otherwise noted.

The rim 2) includes a low or side flange 22 serving to confine the edgeof the outer facing tire bead (shown in broken lines). `inwardly of thelow ange is the adjoining outer facing bead ange 23, having a standard15-20 taper, and a substantially horizontal safety ledge 24. The safetyledge terminates in the drop center well the rim 20, elements 22-25, areconstructed in accordance with established principles of rim design.

Inwardly of the center well 25 is an inner facing beadv ange 27 having ataper similar to that of flange 23. The bead ange 27 terminates in aradially outwardly directed rib 28 of such depth and having suicientrigidity so as to materially strengthen the entire rim 20. The innerface 28a of the rib functions, with respect to the inner bead of thetire, in the same manner as the low ange 22 functions with respect tothe outer tire bead` The outer face 28b of the rib 28 is directedradially inwardly away from the outer circumference of the rim andterminates in an angular mounting portion or surface 30 inclinedradially and inwardly from the center well at the desired taper,preferably 28. The surface 30 is engaged either by a beveled bearingsurface 31 on the mounting clamps, described below, or upon the bearingsurface 19 of the wheel.

The mounting surface 30 terminates in an acutely angled bead portion 33having the smallest diameter of the several annular rim elements. Thediameter of the bead 33 is so chosen that it is substantially the sameas the diameter of the felly surface 18. In actual practice a clearancein the range of .016-020 inch is satisfactory.

Extending radially outward from the bead portion 33, in a plane atsubstantially right angles to the axis of rotation ofthe vehicle wheel,is a spacer ange 34. The outer facing surface 34a is the guide orpositioning surface which enables two rims 20 to be accurately mounted,in opposed relation, on a vehicle wheel.

Referring to Fig. 2, the improved rim 20 may be modified to handle tireshaving an unusually large crosssection by the inclusion of a surface 32,between the mounting surface 30 and the bead 33. The mounting surface 32is substantially parallel with the felly surface 18 and preferably hasthe same diameter as the bead 33. The length of the surface 32 is sochosen as to provide the desired clearance between the side walls oftires having a large cross-section.

The rims 20 are mounted on the vehicle wheel in the manner shown. Thatis, the inner rim, with tire mounted thereon, is slipped over the outerend of the wheel and seated with the mounting surface 30 in continuousradial contact with the bearing surface 19. The outer rim is then fittedover the wheel and moved inwardly until the spacer ange 34 of the outerrim is in abutting contact with the spacer flange on the inner rim. Aplurality of rim fastening lugs 35 each having the bevelled bearingsurface 31 are then tightened by suitable bolts 36 so that the surfaces31 of the clamp engage the mounting surface 30 of the outer n'm andsecure both rims to the wheel.

It is apparent from the above description that the invention relates toa novel rim construction that eliminates the need for a spacer orseparator between rims mounted in dual fashion. It is further apparentthat the provision of an integral spacer ange which may be accuratelyformed to close tolerances during fabrication of the rim enables theimproved rims to be accurately and rapidly mounted in dual fashion.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drop center rim having bead flanges extending laterally of thecenter well and a low side flange extending laterally of one of saidbead anges, the improvement consisting of a rib connected to the otherof said bead flanges and mounting and spacer anges extending laterallyof said rib, said rib having a shallow outwardly directed portion,forming a low side flange, and an clongated inwardly directed portion,said mounting ange having an inclined mounting portion extending axiallyin- Patented Mar. 22, 19160 l Y A3 t ward of and away from said centerwell Aand being connected to the innermost end of said elongatedportion, said spacer flange being connected to the innermost end ofsaid. mounting flange and extendingradially outwardlyl in'fa. plane atsubstantially 'right anglesV to the `arrisof rotation ofi-the rim. "2".In a drop-center rim having bead n angeslextendig@ laterally of -t'hecenter well and a low side flange extend-4 ing' .laterally of one ofsaid bead flanges,Y the'improve ment consisting of a rib connected 'to-thet other ofs'aid bead flanges 'and mounting and spaceranges extendinglaterally of said rib, said rib having a shallow outwardly nating in aspacerllange, said mounting flange being intelaterally of the centerwell, theirnprovernent consisting Y of a radially inwardly directedmounting ange terminatdirected portion forming. vaV low side Harige, andan elongatedin'wardly directed portion, said mounting flange having aninclined tapered mounting portieriy extending inward-'of and away fromsaid center well and being connected to the innermost end of said..elongated portion and further having aV portion .extending laterallyofl said mounting portion away fromsid center well, said spacer angebeingv connected to the outer end of said lateral portion and .extendingradially outwardly in a plane at substantially right angles to the axisof rotation' of the rim.

3. In a drop center rim having bead flanges extending ing in a spacerliange, Vsaid mounting flange being integrally connected to one of saidbead flanges by a radially outwardly directed rib portion and having anin- -clined bearing surface vextending axially inward of and laterallyof the center well, the improvement consisting 25 of a radially inwardlydirected mounting ange termiradially outwardly from theinner end of saidbearing surface in a plane at substantially right angles to the axis ofrotation of the rim.

" 'References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS AMacDonald Mar. 19,- 1.940

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent Noo2V929659 March 22 1960 Daniel A. Walther It is hereby certified thaterror appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below.

Column 2Y line 26, for

" read portion ma column 4u line 3.l for "position Signed and sealedthis. 30th day of August 1960 S EAL) Attest:

ERNEST W., SWIDER Attesting Officer ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner ofPatents

